A Hundred Things
by Nyodrite
Summary: 1: "Kaka-" He blinked, looking up at his father even as he kept rubbing the pup (it was so still) and saw his father staring at him with an odd expression. It was kind of like the look Tousan got when he asked about Kaasan before he'd stopped, not liking how quiet (why isn't it moving yet?) his father got after. The jōnin swallowed and looked away (why? what's wrong Tousan?).
1. Theme 1 : Birth

**Theme 1 : Birth**

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"Stillborn." Sukka-san grunted, nudging the still body of a pup off to the side. Tousan looked as if he were about to disagree, to try and fix the pup somehow but the bitch huffed a "Here comes the next one." and the man was distracted.

Kakashi though, had already finished his job of carrying the latest puppy to the little nest that Sukka-san would move to after the birthing was finished- leaving the wriggling fur-worms under Kuro-chan's care, so he picked up the discarded pup. It was damp but odd sac-thing it had been in was mostly gone (he pulled away bits clinging to the rear legs) and the cord-thing had already been bit then tied off so he started rubbing it like he'd seen Tousan do.

"Kaka-" He blinked, looking up at his father even as he kept rubbing the pup _(it was so still)_ and saw his father staring at him with an odd expression. It was kind of like the look Tousan got when he asked about Okaasan before he'd stopped, not liking how quiet and still _(why isn't it moving yet?)_ his father got after. The jōnin swallowed and looked away _(why? what's wrong Tousan? do you know why the puppy hasn't moved?)_ towards Kuro-chan's twin, "Shiro-kun, take this one to the others."

Kakashi glanced around, head tilting (hands rubbing and rubbing and rubbing- _why don't you move?)_ at how the adult ninken all had expressions mirroring Tousan's. "...what?"

"Nothing, Kashi-chan." Kuro-chan answered but she sound both tired and sad, like Tousan did when he asked _(stop asking questions, you only make Tousan sad.)_ about the Second War.

Shiro-kun sat, watching him (as his hands rubbed and rubbed and rubbed) with old, _old_ (which was weird because Shiro-kun was only _five_ ) eyes. "Don't you want to watch the other pups, Kashi-kun?"

"Not yet," he told the white-furred wolfhound (rubbing, rubbing, rubbing). "I want this one to wake up first." He stalled (before his hands rubbed, rubbed, rubbed) when his father let out a smothered, choked kind of noise. "...Touchan?" He didn't say it that often anymore, not since he'd met Jiraiya and the man started teasing his father about it, but sometimes it slipped out before he could change it to the more appropriate _(why is it, though? why make fun of Tousan?)_ version.

Tousan let out another noise and said in a tired, _tired_ _(this is why- not supposed to say it)_ voice. "It's nothing, Kakashi."

He _(was bad bad **bad-** can't do anything right)_ blinked (hands rubbing, rubbing, rubbing _and rubbing_ ) and said. "Okay."

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 **Ya know, I saw this theme and I was so excited- was going to write something fluffy about Pakkun being born and then _this_ came out. (I now feel sad.)**


	2. Theme 2 : Enthusiasm

**Theme 2 : Enthusiasm**

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"Hey, hey- Sensei! Can we take a break? It's time for lunch- dattebayo!" Wide, blue eyes peered hopefully up at him, the other two genin stopping to look at him.

Kakashi huffed, "I don't suppose I'll be getting any work out of you until you're fed, hmm? Anything in mind?"

"Ramen!" Naruto cheered, teammates rolling their eyes but looking resigned as the blond started leading the way.

 _"Oi! Lemon-head! It's break time!" He blinked when red hair covered his vision as the kunoichi snatched him up. "Let's get lunch- dattebane!"_

 _His resigned "Hello Kushina-san" was drowned out by Sensei's protest of, "You can't just steal my student whenever you feel like it, Kushina."_

 _"It's not stealing." The Uzumaki scoffed, "I'm making sure he gets fed so he won't end up like a stick-person like you." She said, marching off as the blond sputtered a bit at the insult. "So, what do you want to eat, 'Kashi-kun?"_

 _Kakashi started saying "I want-" before the kunoichi cut him off with, "Let's get ramen! That'll be good for you!"_

"Ayame! Can I get three bowls of...hm...chashumen!" Naruto called, seating himself.

The girl smiled at the genin, "Sure thing! What about the rest of you?"

"The usual miso." Kakashi said after the two others muttered their own choices (shoyu for Sakura and tonkotsu for Sasuke).

 _"Ojisan! Can I get three bowls of chashumen!?" Kushina called, depositing him in a chair before sitting herself beside him._

 _"Alright," the man laughed, looking towards him. "You want the same kind as last time, Kakashi-kun?" At his nod the man turned towards Sensei, who'd followed them. "What about you?"_

 _"Ah." the blond floundered a moment before saying, "I'll try a regular shio, I guess?"_

Kakashi broke his chopsticks, silently wondering if Uzumaki were bred to have such... _enthusiasm_ for ramen.

* * *

 **It was going to be something to do with Gai but, well, then I got hungry and thought "Ramen".**


	3. Theme 3 : Love

**Theme 3 : Love**

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Weeding was a simple task, something that had come up often in his early life- from Genin to Academy Student to the time preceding that, Kakashi had been assigned the task of weeding. The most recent time was with Sensei, of course, and had left him tired and sore when the blond had slapped a seal on him then set him to the task without the benefit of chakra; his time as an Academy Student had him pulling weeds that littered Konoha Cemetery in a tense kind of awkward silence born from students _wanting_ to talk but wary to do so when surrounded by graves.

The first time he had pulled weeds was when he was a toddler, mobile and energetic and entirely disinclined to being inactive. It wasn't that his father had _told_ him to start weeding, the man had set him to wander the garden (to poke and prod at the odd plants that he'd only seen when being carried past them) while Sakumo tended to it. Kakashi had delighted in being set free to sate his curiosity, taking to carrying interesting things he didn't know about to his father or dragging the man from his work to come over and explain whatever odd thing Kakashi wanted to know about-...

 _"Look! It looks like the purple-things we sometimes eat, what is Touchan?"_

 _"It's called an eggplant. And it is the 'purple-things' we eat."_

 _"It looks different."_

 _"Haha. That's because it hasn't been cut or cooked. Also it isn't done growing yet- it won't be finished growing for about another month."_

 _"...oh. Okay."_

…-with a patience that he didn't really admire until he was older. After a while, once he'd learned the name of every plant in sight, Kakashi had grown bored and wandered over to inspect what his father had been doing. He'd initially attempted to copy his father, grabbing onto the crabgrass and yanking but neither his grip nor had his balance been good and he went tumbling to the ground, his father's laughter following him. Sakumo had been suitably apologetic to sooth his toddler self after, showing him how to properly pull the weeds from the ground- the two ending up with a vague system of Kakashi yanking the crabgrass from the ground and Sakumo making sure the roots had all been removed until Kakashi had gotten tired enough for a nap.

Cleaning was a likewise simple task, one that appeared frequently throughout life; from weapons to dishes to clothes to rooms and more. Weapon care was something taught at the Academy (typically during second year for dull weapons and later third year for live weapons), it was something that both his teacher and father had decided he shouldn't do alone as a genin- as if he were going to trip and impale himself on a kunai. Any other kind of cleaning was learnt from either D-Ranks or house chores-...

 _"What are you doing Kakashi?"_

 _"Taking the desk chair."_

 _"...why are you taking the desk chair?"_

 _"Need it."_

 _"...why do you need the desk chair?"_

 _"So I can reach."_

 _"...alright. What are you trying to reach that you need to drag the desk chair along with you?"_

 _"Dishes!"_

…-that he'd insisted on doing once he'd decided he was 'old enough'.

 **But.**

Each year, on March 30, those simple tasks seemed so heavy.

 _Because-_

Kakashi sighed, sealing away his cleaning supplies and using a controlled burst of chakra to burn the weeds before standing. The storage scroll was tucked away and Kakashi turned to the grave, managing a smile as he said, "Happy birthday Tousan."


	4. Theme 4: Hate

**Theme 4 : Hate**

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He was sad and hurt but hate was easier so he tried to feel that over the rest.

 _Why'd you do it?_ He wanted to ask but didn't, he didn't want to display such weakness. And it wouldn't have been of any use anyways, the person Kakashi wanted to question was gone already. But it was probably for the best.

 _"You're not allowed to die."_

 _"Everyone dies eventually."_

 _"No! You can't!"_

 _"Kakas-"_

 _"I...don't want to be alone."_

 _"...I'll be right here, Kakashi. I'll always be right here for you."_

 _"Promise?"_

 _"I promise."_

It wasn't as if he could trust the word of a liar anyways.


End file.
